Near Miss
by HyenaGreyscale
Summary: A close call. A near miss. You know, the kind of thing they make a big deal of on the six o' clock news. It's what we all come to expect, after all. Society expects the good guys to pull through, never really considering the other side of the coin, never thinking about the goons that don't miss. Hell, John had seen this all first hand, been the statistic, but it never prepares you.
1. Cats, Kids, and a Circus

**AN: Welp, my very first story ever on FF. Helloooo everyone. I was very unsure whether or not I wanted to pull myself out of my 5 year writing hiatus BUT HERE I AM. Yes, this is story will eventually live up to it's M-Rating, but for now, accept some simple cliff-hangy stuff.**

**I'm in this for the long hall; hope I gather a couple people to ride it out with me! Thanks for reading!**

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**Near Miss**

A close call. A near miss. You know, the kind of thing they make a big deal of on the six o' clock news; _'Officer is nearly shot in the line of duty, his heroic efforts are honored in a solid gold statue. Up next, a pony who can play the piano!'_. It's what we all come to expect, after all. In the movies the good guys always come out on top, because who doesn't walk away from a point blank gunshot wound? Society expects the good guys to pull through, never really considering the other side of the coin, never thinking about the goons that _don't_ miss. Hell, John had seen this all first hand, been the statistic, but it never prepares you.

Everything happened too quickly. Vladimir's haunting smile flickered ominously on the view screen, every smug detail pixelated in high definition, "So close, Detective. Too close, if you ask me."

The recording flashes the well rehearsed smile once more, the young Armenian's face growing more wicked as the seconds ticked on. Beside him, Dorian desperately tried to trace the feed, one hand pressed securely to the computer module below the screen. John could hear the small sound of disappointment under his breath as he looked back, shaking his head. _Shit_.

"I applaud you, sirs. If only Detective Kennex had not been so occupied with the pretty brunette at the station, maybe you would have made it in time to catch us," his controlled chuckle was cold, calculated, and John seethed at the prodding.

"I shall give you another chance, to show you how much we care about this great city of ours. However, since you have failed this round, we should mark it a 'strike', yes? Like in your American baseball, we must have a player take the bench, but who to choose?" Vladimir seemed to consider the options, his smile grating on John's patience. "Pretty Miss Stahl? Or what of Captain Maldonado? No, neither will give you an edge. Ahha! I have it!" The Armenian's sharky smile grew as he dropped his hands from the viewer.

"How about our DRN friend? You always did hate Synths, Mr. Kennex. I guess you consider this a favor!" John opened his mouth to reiterate, to shoot off some snarky remark, his finger pointed at the viewer, when Dorian let out what could only be a yelp. The android stumbled back a few steps, his body clicking, whirring. John's eyes flashed to his partner with a questioning glance, still not breaking eye contact with the dark haired crime lord.

"Good day, Detective. Good luck in round two." The transmission cut, dropping the room into haunting blue light that was being emitted from the command console. John swore, dropping his facade as he reached for Dorian.

The androids body shook, his joints spastically jerking as his legs gave way. John gripped at his shirt, struggling with the added weight as he slowly lowered his partner to the floor. Searching his face, John took in the rapidly dilating eyes, the way his mouth floundered, "Dorian, what's going on?! Come on, fight this!" His breath came in panicky bursts, his partners hands curling and uncurling against his bulletproof vest.

"Jo-..." Dorian's pupils blew wide, black swallowing the light grey irises. His body fell silent, every click shutting down simultaneously. His hand opened, his fingers falling limply to his side as the android shut down.

Cursing, John quickly dropped an ear to his lips, listening for the tell tale whir that signaled the synthetic was processing. Silence.

"Dorian...? DRN, reboot sequence," John held his breath. His head drops again, listening, waiting. Silence.

"Dorian, respond!" Fumbling, John groped desperately at the back of his head. The electric blue lights flickered, occasionally plunging him into darkness as he swiped his thumb over the manual reset. His strained breathing was the only sound, the desperation he heard there deeply embarrassing.

"Do-... Dorian," John quickly divoted the intercom system at his wrist, pulling Dorian's unmoving frame tight against his chest. "Kennex reporting! I have a 10-00. Requesting immediate transport." Kennex drops his head once more, silently pleading beneath his breath, praying for a sign.

Silence.

"I repeat," John's voice sounds rough to himself, far away under the sound of blood pounding in his ears, "I have an officer down!"

* * *

_Thirty-Seven Hours Earlier_

"I think you should get a cat, man."

John's hands slowed in their furious assault on his pad. Brown eyes flickered for a moment to the spot where his partner was wearing holes into the linoleum wood of his living room. Scowling, he looked back to his pad, fingers resuming their unrelenting pace, "Oh, definitely. I should also look into having a kid, quitting all this boring work and join the circus, Dorian." He grumbled under his breath, knowing his partner would hear anyways. Stopping again, he looks up flings his stylus towards the android, "And stop yer pacing! I don't care about the floor, but goddamn, you're gunna fall through the floor soon!"

Dorian's ever-pleasant smile turns on him, raising his palms in a mock surrender, "Hey man, I give. I'm just sayin', a cat could do you good," The android fell with a hmph onto the sofa, testing the soft cushions with his meticulous curiosity. Smoothing his fingertips along the crisp white fabric, he began counting the thread fibers, synthesizing the blends of cotton and polyester, "Oh!" Grinning, he turns to look at John's back where he sat hunched over the kitchen bar, "We could name it Stahl!"

The android ducked just as the pad went flying over his head, landing with a thump further down the couch, stifling a chuckle. John fumed, pulling on his jacket to quickly and nearly busting a seam.

"Fine! No more paperwork. See if I even care," he spun on the android who had quickly moved to stand at his side, stabbing a finger into his chest, "But _you_ get to tell Maldonado why the reports she wanted didn't get filed." Smirking, John spun around and ushered them into the brisk morning air.

The android's smile fell, imagining the look the the chief's face as his partner informed her that their long overdue paperwork would be late. Again. Quickly pulling up the file, Dorian sorted and jotted down all the information that John had been putting off. He topped it off with something he hoped would read 'John' to Maldonado. Sending it directly to her desk, Dorian replaced his pleasant smile as he locked up behind the harried Detective.

John Kennex roughly pulled open the side of his standard issue Cruiser. He mood had soured, no thanks to a certain Synthetic know-it-all. The shrill chime from the forward console pulled him from his increasingly negative thoughts, "Accept call."

Sandra Maldonado tired face swam into clarity, her posture straightening as the call was accepted, "Kennex. Good morning."

John gave a non-comittal sound under his breath, trying to show his interest despite the lack of coffee in his system. Dorian, who'd slipped in the car beside his partner, smiled and gave a mini-wave to the Chief of Police, "Good morning, Sandra. I take it you have an assignment for us?" Grinning, the android steepled his fingers, ignoring the killer glares from the human at his left.

"Correct as usual, Dorian," a tiny smile flitted to her face as her eyes stayed fixed on John. Her eyes didn't move as she continued, "I was glad to find that report on my desk. Right on time even," The cool brown irises swiveled to the android's face, "You know the human Detectives are the ones who must submit the final paperwork, Dorian. Next time John can do his own work." Her controlled smile tightened, pinning them both under her glare.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Chief," Dorian gave a genuine smiling, attempting his most winning grin as he reached up to click into his safety belt. Oh, if looks could kill. Despite John's best attempt at burning holes through his head, Maldonado's laugh broke the awkward silence.

"I'm sure. Anyway; both of you are to report to my desk within the hour. I've got something for you," And with that she cut out, leaving Dorian with a fuming John. The detective reached up to roughly punch the console, turning it back to the basic navigation screen as they prepared to leave. Dorian's steely eyes stole a quick glance to the man as he swore amiably to himself.

The android opened his mouth to speak, but was promptly cut off with a sharply raised hand, "I-don't-want-to-hear-a-single-word-from-you," The detective's voice was just above a growl as he heavy-handedly turned on the vehicle.

"Whate-"

"AH! ISAIDNOTASINGLEWORD." John seethed between his teeth, quickly pulling away from the city block just outside his apartment. Dorian held up his hands for the second time that morning, surrendering to the surly man who spent entirely too much time cursing and hating his life. Closing his eyes, the android worked on keeping quite as they pulled onto the interstate.

It hadn't even been a minute before the exasperated detective spoke, "I would have finished the damn thing if you hadn't been pestering me. Do you know how bad this looks? Finally back to work and I get a robot with a goodie-two-shoes complex!" He didn't have to look over to know that Dorian's smile had fallen. He can hear the android's clothing shift as he crosses his arms, turning to stare out the window. '_Good, let him stew a bit. Had no goddamn right to submit my report..._'

The silence drew out as they reached downtown. Frowning, John stole a glance at the DRN, the self-satisfaction of telling him off already gone, "What no response? I normally can't get you to shut up." Silence. The android lists to the right further, seemingly trying to become part of the car door. Looking back at the road, John let out a long, begrudging sigh, the guilt gnawing uncomfortably at his gut, "Dorian. Now you're just acting like a child."

Dorian let his eyebrows shoot up for a second as he huffed, clearly unimpressed.

Rolling his eyes, Kennex pulled into the station, steering to the back interior lot. Withdrawing the keys, he pushes a hand through his hair and turns to face the disgruntled android, "Look, I'm sorry. I get you were trying to help and that I was being an ass, but I didn't mean what I said." The apology was quiet, but as sincere as he could manage. John knew Dorian was... well, different. Would he apologize to a MX? Hell no. "Come on, Dorian... Say something? I already friggin said I'm sorry, you ass." the bot smiled at that, unclipping and slipping from the car.

"Yeah, just wanted to see if I could get you to repeat yourself, man." Fastening his holster to his belt, Dorian held the garage door open as John threw up his hands in frustration. He had to stop himself from laughing out loud as the man stalked past him, mumbling about cats and '_goodie'goodies_'. Following him, Dorian silently updated the man's dating profile, adding a bit about his love of felines and a previous stint in the circus. Chuckling, the android moved past the hustle on the main floor as they jogged up the steps to Maldonado's office.

"John. Dorian. Come inside," Sandra motioned them to enter, offering them both a chair as she moved to close the glass door behind them. Entering a seven digit code, the glass surrounding the office half frosted, allowing a modicum of privacy to the three within. Walking to sit behind her desk, the Chief held them with a unwavering stare, her arms crossing as she leaned back, "I want you to tell me what you know about a man named Vladimir Zadian."

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**AN: Soooooooooo? OHGODIHOPEYOULIKEDIT. Interested? Please leave me a review and a rating. It literally will be the only thing keeping me going. ThanksgaisI'mgunnagodienow. -HG**


	2. Elementary, My Dear Dorian

**AN: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Or, well, to my U.S. readers. To everyone else? HAPPY BEING-AWESOME-FOR-READING-THIS-FANFICTION day! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I know all authors say that they crave reivews, but I literally set "review goals" and won't post the the next chapter until I hit that number.**

**Why you ask?**

**I'm stingy. And selfish. Andtotallyinlovewithyourwordsofkindness. Anyways, read on! See you at the end of the chapter!**

Near Miss

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Chapter Two

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A brief moment of silence fell after the chief spoke, both detectives accessing their memories to consider the name and the implications of sitting in a private meeting at this moment. John stole a glance at Dorian, watching as he processed any information that he could pull up on the police data-bank. Clearing his throat, John looked back to Maldonado as he leaned back in his own chair, "Zadian? Isn't he a small time arms dealer? I think I remember a stunt last year-"

Sandra raised a hand to stop him, nodding to confirm what he was saying, "Yes, the same. Zadian use to be a part of the Armenian small arms movement, using the profits in order to fund his involvement with Syndicate."

John instantly sat at attention, his jaw setting in to a hard line at the mention of the name. The action caused his leg to shift, a synthetic simulation of pain shooting up his hip; a reminder of that day. Syndicate. What was Zadian doing with a group like that?

Dorian registered the pain sensor triggering in his partners leg, eyes traveling to the offending limb with a look of worry. He knew how much John hated the thing; a constant slap in the face from a world that once was. Stomaching his concern, Dorian pulled up the files on Zadian and sent them to the display monitor, "As Sandra has so kindly informed us, Zadian is not a nice guy. Multiple offenses for large arm possession, small arm possession, drug paraphernalia, assault on an officer, and the list goes on. His main MO is as an underling for larger groups, however, in recent months he has been climbing the ranks."

Vladimir's profile opened itself onto the desk before them, the slick Armenian's face seemingly looking right through John. The man had medium length black hair, swept back and away from his deceptively handsome face. The cerulean eyes were cold, too light to be considered attractive, but just enough so to force John to look away from the projection. A long list of scrolling offenses trudged down the left hand side of the screen, stopping near the bottom on a blinking set of words. John arched a single eyebrow, leaning forward curiously at the contradiction; '_**FRUADULENT SYNTHETIC MANUFACTURING**_'.

"Synthetics? What the hell is an arms dealer doing with synthetics?" Now John was beyond confused, as was his partner, who's face lit up again as he tried to specify. Even more confusing was the smile that Sandra was trying to stifle. Both of John's eyebrows shot up, feeling as if he was missing some big joke. It definitely was not an amusing prospect; not when the Syndicate was behind it.

Maldonado regained her composure, clearing her throat with a small cough, "Forgive me, but you've hit the nail on the head." The pair before her turned to look at one another, obvious confusion passing visibly between them, "Zadian has procured information to put him at the forefront of black-market synthetic dealings. His crew is developing technology that will weaponize synthetic limbs, allowing a user to have beyond human strength. We also have reason to believe Yerden Sveltson, a renowned roboticist and engineer may have been abducted to aid him in this pursuit. So in a sense... Zardian is still indeed an 'arms' dealer."

Dorian snorted, earning a scathing glare from John. The snort morphed in a quiet laugh as he met his partner's gaze, "Hey! Even the chief is laughing, man. Lighten up." John shook his head and turned his attention back to Maldonado, waving of the chuckling android.

"Ha. Ha. You both are hilarious. So little Vladdie is looking to play in the Major Leagues? Sounds like we'll have to do a bit of babysitting. Do we know his last known location? Any information on the whereabouts of Sveltson?" John was beginning to become exasperated, his nerves surging with the desire to learn more about the Syndicate. This was a serious link; one that could possibly take him to the front door of the people he wanted to see most.

Sandra nodded, "We do indeed. Just outside of Santa Monica, our intelligence has informed us that a certain Armenian has a hush hush operation set up on the waterfront. We are still unclear as to what exactly it may be, but we speculate it may be a testing lab due to the multiple animal corpses that have been found floating in the bay."

Dorian frowned at the thought of any creature losing its life for crime. If nothing else, he'd do this for them, "And this is why we are here, chief?"

"Correct, Dorian. The reason I called the both of you here this morning is to give you your next assignment; Discover what you can about that lab and try to gather some information on the whereabouts of Dr. Sveltson and our Armenian friend. If you do find Zarian, you are to report it straight away and head back here to base." Maldonado's gaze looked between the two of them, her mouth set in a stern line, "This is plain and simple detective work, you understand? You are not to interfere at this point in time. When more information has be gathered, we can look into moving further."

John scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "So we're just supposed to let him slip away? That's bullshit and you know it! If he's there, we-"

"You will report it and bring your ass right back here. Understood?" Maldonado had stood from her seat, her arms crossed behind her back in what could only be assumed to be an uncomfortable position. Her face could scare the skin off an android, her final words hanging heavy in the air as John closed his mouth.

Stepping up beside his partner, Dorian could feel the static electricity crackling between the other two. Placing a hand on John's arm, he gave him a slight tug and flashed a placating smile to their chief, "Loud and clear."

Pulling his arm out of the androids grasp, Kennex spun on a heel and pushed his way out of the office, "Come on, Dorian. Let's go play Sherlock."

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The fog over Santa Monica Bay was beyond thick. Pea soup had nothing on this stuff; a heavy cover rested silently above the eerie black water. It was surreal the way it created a natural sound barrier; illuminated by the surrounding lights, yet visually impairing the duo as the cruiser crawled to a slow. John had moved the vehicle to an adjacent pier, all lights off or dimmed to a unnoticeable level. Inside the warm, enclosed space of the police cruiser, the only light source was being emitted from the side of Dorian's face, bathing the car in a flickering wave of blues and whites, "The spot to which Sandra had indicated to us earlier lies exactly 125.76 meters that way."

Dorian motioned with his head toward the pier to their immediate right. By looks, it was all means normal; chipped paint, deteriorating wood, and disgruntled dock workers, oh my. Large red letters indicated that they had indeed found Pier 42 and the supposed lab, "Well," John broke the silence, a loud click reverberating through the vehicle as he snapped his Bullex vest into place, "What are we waiting for?"

The android returned his partners smile, slipping out of the cruiser and into the chilly night. Most nights in Los Angeles County were mild, nearly warm, but tonight was different. Dorian registered the temperature at a crisp forty-nine degrees Fahrenheit, low enough for his skin simulators to activate 'goose-bumps'. He was quite proud of the tingling sensation; most Synthetics would find such things frivolous, unneeded. Dorian found them... endearing. Pulling his arms closer and coat tighter, the DRN moved to his partner's left side, walking with purpose so as not to evoke suspicion from any stray dock workers who may have seen them leave the cruiser.

"Okay, so we get in, look around, and get out. Yes?" Dorian spoke in a hushed whisper, his shoulder occasionally brushing against Kennex's. The man gave a roll of his shoulders, mumbling some sort of compliance, causing one of the android's eyebrows to peak, "You're not forgetting our mi-"

"No, _Dorian_, I'm not forgetting the mission. In, out, leave, then maybe we'll get a cookie and a pat on the head," John's voice oozed with sarcasm, dark eyes scanning the waterway and connecting dock for signs of life. When he saw none, he motioned the pair forward and crossed the gangplank levy, moving quickly to close the space from their current location to the size of the waterfront warehouse. Both men pressed up hard against the corrugated aluminum siding, Dorian ungloving a hand to press against the cool metal.

"I'm picking up multiple heat signatures, most averaging above 101.6," the android cocked his head to the side, trying to explain the high temps, "Not human... animals?"

"Animal testing, remember? Chief said something about bodies in the bay," John craned his neck to make eye-contact with the DRN, "Any human life signatures?"

A swirl of light, "Two identifiable life signs positioned just inside the door, one on a second story loft office. I'm also picking up at least three Synthetics, but they all seem to be in disrepair," A frown creased Dorian's face, his processor speeding up a pace as synthetic anger flooded his system.

John leaned forward to meet his eyes, a ghost of worry shadowing his brow, "You 'kay?"

Dorian nodded, setting his mind back to the task on hand, "Yeah, man. I'm good. Just not too keen on people who use others for profi-"

Suddenly the front access door to the warehouse slammed, unleashing a cacophony of harried barks, howls, and screeching. Holding a finger up to his lips, Kennex motioned for them to move up to the corner, slowly withdrawing their hip mounted Zoraki pistol. The voices of two men could be heard over the din of pained animal cries,

"_J'ai eu assez de ces propos morceaux de fourrure de merde. Vladimir devrait passer à l'essai humain déjà si je peux personnellement tuer chacun de ces salauds putain_," The first man's voice was young, too pitchy and screamed of inexperience.

"_Ne se taire, René. Je crois que j'ai entendu parler de votre incessante miaulement dans ces derniers jours que je voulais entendre. Je peux tirer une balle dans le cerveau_," This voice was much lower, gravely. Dorian tried to quickly translate the rapid French, keeping pressed hard against the building as the men emerged around the corner. In the blink of an eye, John brought the butt of his pistol down on the temple of the shorter man, dropping him with a grunt.

The younger man, 'Rene', stumbled backwards as he fumbled for his gun. In his haste, he dropped the creature he'd been holding, it's body hitting the deck with a heavy thud. The blonde opened his mouth to yell, issue a warning, anything, but was promptly cut off with a solid fist to the corner of his jaw. The Frenchman fell, Dorian following him down, delivering a second wicked blow to the man's temple.

"Alright, Sparky, calm down. He's out for count," John whispered harshly as he bound the first man's hands and arms, pushing him up tight against the building. Dorian didn't speak, instead moving away from the blonde and towards the the bundle of fur laying against the sodden wood of the pier. Running quick scanning fingers over the delicate frame, the android registered the drugs coursing through the poor animals system. There it was again, that surge of anger.

Kennex was working on restraining the second man when Dorian suddenly stood, "Take this." John arched an eyebrow, holding out his hand for what he assumed was evidence. No sooner had he opened his mouth to question the DRN, a bundle wrapped in his partner's coat was pressed gingerly into his arms, "I'll be right back."

Without another word, the Android took off at a sprint, ducking into the warehouse and leaving a shocked John holding god knows what. Curiosity getting the better of him, John readjusted the odd weight in his arms, reaching up to peek inside. Hazy ochre eyes blinked slowly up at him, white fur matted against the creatures' face. It was covered in a fine grit of something metallic, giving the creature a shimmering appearance. John hissed under his breath, covering the face as a yelp rang out from within the warehouse, "Goddamn it, Dorian! Figures he'd leave me with the goddamn cat..."

Moments later, the android himself reappeared, reaching out instantly to retrieve the bundle, "All targets have been subdued; I suggest we contact Maldonado immediately and inform her on the situation. The man inside was one Yuri Tehlso, an underling to Zadian and one of the men who was seen patrolling around Sveltson's apartment in the days before his abduction," Pulling the cat closer to his chest, Dorian began to heat his hands, allowing them to warm the blanket surrounding the small creature. Looking fondly in it's eyes, he barely managed to tear his gaze away at John's scoff, "There are also a lot of animals inside. Many are dead, most are like this guy,but they all need help, John."

Dorian's face was one John had never seen on that of a Sythentic, at least, not before Dorian. The apathy he saw there made him look away, grumbling as he ran a hand through his short cropping of hair, "Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on. Goooood, Maldonado is going to skin us alive...Ughh." Stalking away from his partner, Kennex pressed his wrist communicator to signal the chief,

"Kennex to base. Chief, we've got ourselves into a hairy situation. Nothing bad, don't freak. But you're going to want to get down here, and bring animal control with you."

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**AN: And there is the end of number two! Please, remember to leave a review (Even if you aren't logged in, are just a guest, or only have a couple things to say). Seriously! If you wanna see more, you better go whisper sweet nothings. -hearts- Thanks again gais for all the support. :D -HG**


	3. Resistance is Futile

**AN: Hey guys! I'm sorry this took two weeks to get to ya'. I hope you enjoy the story and I'm so glad to be getting such great input. Thank you to the guest reviewers, I wish I could respond to each of you, but TOO BAD. I'm rambling; forgive me. On with the show!**

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Near Miss

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Chapter 3

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The pier had exploded. Well, not literally, but to say that John feared that the dock beneath them may give way was not far from exaggerated. Of course, the weight of Maldonado's glare wasn't helping in the matter either. Arms crossed, posture rigid, and hair almost disheveled, Sandra Maldonado gave the pair of detectives before her a look that would do even her mother proud, "Explain."

Her words were crisp, pointed liked knives, and John could feel each and every one of them piercing into his conscious. Clearing his throat, John clasped his arms behind his back and tried his best to look ashamed, floundering beneath his captain's fiery demeanor, "Well, ya' see, we just-"

"The fault is mine, Sandra," Dorian stepped up, his shoulder brushing supportively against John's, "We had been following the mission parameters and had gone in for a closer look when two men suddenly caught us off guar-"

"Let me stop you right there. Please explain how a highly experienced detective," her dark eyes shot to Kennex, "And his super-human partner let two thugs catch them 'off guard'? Why _exactly_ were you off guard, Dorian? Explain to me why I have three unconscious Frenchmen, an ark of dead or dying animals, and this ass," her finger pushed accusingly into John's chest, eyes moving between them, "Trying to look sincere?" Stepping back, Maldonado placed her hands on her hips, clearly unimpressed.

It was Dorian's turn to clear his throat, looking away a bit too quickly. John's eyes flickered to his partner's abashed face and had to stifle a laugh; glad that for once in his life, he wasn't in the hot seat. Clasping the androids shoulder, John let go a huff and gave the woman his best puppy dog look, "Don't be too hard on him, Captain. We had barely reached the main building when those two popped up," his thumb jerked over his shoulder to where the medics were finishing their once overs on the three unconscious men, "And you know how Dorian is with cats. Before we know it, he'll have 50 of the damn things, wearing nothing but bobbly sweaters, and insist on decorating his home like a funeral parlor."

The corner of Maldonado's lips twitched as she tried to restrain a smile. Dorian's jaw dropped open, affronted for a moment, before closing it with a considering gaze. John pointed to his partner with a laugh, "See?!"

Maldonado shook her head, and pushed her way through the two men as she made her way towards the warehouse, motioning for them to follow with a quick flick of her hand. John shot a wink to Dorian, pushing his hands into his jacket pockets as he followed after their captain. Dorian, however, was slow to follow, knowing exactly what was inside the looming building before them.

"As I'm sure Dorian already informed you, the man inside is one Yuri Tehlso. The guards are Rene Voulious and Morti Pierre-Hellon, both Frenchmen and both working for Zadian. We've suspected that their involvement with Syndicate was growing and merging, but this proves it. Luckily," She stopped at the wide doors that led into the warehouse, her arms crossing thoughtfully, "We know a few of Tehlso's contacts and business partners, so we have a lead."

"Inside is a wholly different story. We have 180,000 square feet of testing facilities and animal cruelty. Many of the animals are dead, and show signs of being recently dispatched. We have reason to believe that the trio may have known about our sting and were attempting to... well, get rid of their evidence. Follow me." Sandra moved ahead with her personal MX, John moving to follow when he noticed that Dorian was stopped a few paces back, staring hard at the bundle in his arms.

Closing the distance between them in a couple of steps, John cocked his head, "You okay? This is the second time you've clocked out on me." Kennex smiled and slapped his partner on the arm, waiting for something witty to register with the dark –skinned android. Dorian gave a weak smile, the disco lights shimmering low as he turned his head to make eye-contact with John, 'I can't go in there again, John."

A sleek brunette brow arched before an uncomfortable laugh slipped from the human's lips, "Well, good luck telling that to Maldonado. Now hurry up, you know she—" He started before Dorian shook his head.

"You misunderstand me, man. I won't go in there again. I—I just.." the android faltered, looking back down to the cat he was trying desperately to warm, "I want to get him warm and stay outside, thank you." Dorian's unfaltering smile was not present, his mouth set into a grim line.

Without speaking, John gave his partner another reassuring pat on the arm before jogging to catch back up to Maldonado, who'd been watching the interaction, "Sorry, we can continue. Dorian will wait for the official report." The captain nodded and motioned with her head to his cruiser,

"Take them out of here, Kennex. We can take care of the rest here tonight and I'll debrief you both tomorrow," she held up a hand when John tried to protest, silencing him with a smile, "Get out of here. Tomorrow." Both of her eyebrows rose meaningfully as she gave him a small push on the shoulder to get him going.

* * *

The car ride was quiet. Too quiet. So quiet in fact that John was beginning to get antsy, his right leg bouncing and disrupting the circuitry connectors in his prosthetic, sounding warning alarms as the leg protested against him. He drove home on auto-pilot, unnerved by Dorian's lack of… well, Dorian. The android had spent the entirety of the ride brushing the metallic dust off the pathetic white lump that constituted his new feline friend, ushering soothing sounds and running his fingertips through the matted fur.

The car rolled smoothly into John's assigned parking spot, the internal systems clicking off as he withdrew the starter from the ignition. Placing his hands in his lap, John released a sigh and looked to his right again, shocked to find Dorian looking him dead in the eyes. Jumping, Kennex released a nervous chuckle, "Good god, man, you scared the crap outta me."

Dorian frowned, covering the bundle in his lap once more. Looking around the parking garage, he tilted his head and looked quizzically back at his partner, "What are we doing here?" His voice sounded genuinely confused, grey eyes light.

"We are parking the car and about to get out, why?" John smirked and unclipped his seat belt, opening the car door and sliding into the rapidly cooling air.

Dorian followed suit, closing the door behind him as he looked at John over the top of the cruiser, shaking his head, "That's not what I mean, John. Why are we _here, _your apartment?" The android lifted an eyebrow as Kennex shrugged, draping his holster over his shoulder as he moved towards the elevator that would take them up six flights.

"You can't take Fuzzy there to the MX station, correct? And I'm sure as hell not taking care of that….cat," John sneered the last word, punching the glowing six on the lift that would take them to his modest apartment. Dorian seemed to consider his words, nodding with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, man. I know you hate cats, but I'm sure he won't be any trouble. Thank you, John," Dorian smiled for the first time that night, leaning slightly to press his shoulder against John's. The detective cleared his throat, muttering a 'yeah, yeah' as they entered the apartment.

Depositing his coat and gun onto the counter, John rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, glad to be home, "So, what does the newest little freeloader need? Pretty sure I don't have any litter or food. Do I need to go out?" John moved to stand beside Dorian, who had settled on the couch and was working on unwrapping the cat who was gaining energy by the minute.

Dorian flashed a smile up to the human beside him, "I'll go out in a bit. Could I have you warm up some towels and get me a wet washcloth? This kitty needs a bath." When John didn't move, Dorian raised a questioning brow.

Raising his hands in defeat, John turned to do as he was asked, "You must have a death wish. I know jack-shit about cats, except for the fact that they hate water." Dorian's musical laughter filled the living room as he pulled a large towel from the sonic dryer, heading to the kitchen to wet a washcloth, "I'll stand waaaay over here, and watch you say your final goodbyes." Tossing the wet cloth to the android, John clambered onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island.

"He's done fighting. You're safe to come closer, you big baby," Dorian winked and began to smooth the cloth over the metallic white fur, working the water into the pelt. Focusing on his task, Dorian's brows drew together in concentrations, something he mirrored in learning from John. Before long a sound rang out across the living space; a low hum that began to grown in volume as the cat began to purr. Dorian's fingers moved over the jagged, scarred skin that rested over a metal disk implanted beneath the shoulder. It was a docking port for a prosthetic that had been rejected, the main face emitting a pulsating blue glow as the software searched for the leg that wasn't there. Dorian pitied him and moved his hands up to work small circles around the bulby backsides of the creature's ears. The purring amplified, the muscles and flesh beneath him relaxing as the android finished up the final cleaning.

White fur gleamed, made unearthly by the unnatural blue glow emitting from the cat's shoulder. Orange ochre eyes stood out against his newly clean face, framed by long whiskers. Dorian grinned over at John, motioning for the warm towel to wrap him up. John moved closer, fascinated by the look of glee on his partners face, "You think he'll make it?" He knew it wasn't the best thing to ask, but someone had to say it.

The android's smile faltered for a moment before returning, his eyes locking onto him with soft emotion, "Yeah, man. I think he'll do just fine." Setting the cat on the couch, Dorian stood, zipping up his overcoat before heading to the door. John followed him, eyes darting back to the bundle on the couch nervously, "I'll be back in a couple minutes, just need to go grab some essentials." Winking, he slipped out the door, leaving John and the cat alone.

Running a hand through his hair, John released an anxious breath as he attempted first contact.

* * *

Bowls filled, litter tray set, Dorian moved back to living space where John and the cat sat considering each other. The detective squinted at the ball of fur, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, he laughed, looking to Dorian, "I've got it."

Confused, Dorian ran his hand over the less than pleased feline who had been startled from his warm reverie, "You got what?"

"Who the damn cat reminds me of. It's been bothering me since you first passed me it." When Dorian didn't press to understand further, John grumbled and pointed to the cat, "It's Data! Haven't you ever watched Star Trek?" Dorian's face began to glow as he processed 'Star Trek – Data', laughing at the image that was brought up.

"Lieutenant Data was the best. This cat is his spitting image," Moving towards his bedroom, John threw up his hands in defeat, "Who knew?!"

"I knew you had a soft spot for androids, John," Dorian called after him, scratching beneath the cats chin. A loud muffled curse rang out from the bedroom as John fumbled to detach his leg, 'Shut up, Dorian.!'. The android laughed loud and hearty, pulling the cat into his lap as he accessed the apartments lighting systems, dimming them as he settled in for the night. He should probably be recharging, but it wasn't necessary, "I love you too, man."

A long silence filled the quiet apartment before a voice rang out, "Goodnight, Dorian."

"Goodnight, John."

* * *

**A/N: It'll just go simmer for another week. Also yay! Next week in my birthday, soooo if there is no update DON'T JUDGE ME. Love you all -HG**


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